University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
No. 6 Georgia Tech Tops No. 15 Tar Heels, 8-1
May 21, 2005 | Baseball
May 21, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore lefty Ryan Turner tossed seven shutout innings, and No. 6 Georgia Tech (38-16, 22-8 ACC) hit three home runs en route to an 8-1 win over No. 15 North Carolina (40-15-1, 17-10-1 ACC) in the final game of the regular season Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels won the first two games of the weekend to claim their first series victory over the Yellow Jackets since 2001.
With the loss Saturday, Carolina finishes fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings and will open against No. 4 seed Florida State 4 p.m. Wednesday in the annual league tournament at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Georgia Tech finished first outright with its 22-8 record.
Turner (7-2) allowed just four hits over the seven innings, but did walk five. He struck out five and held the Tar Heels to just one hit over the first five innings. Right fielder Jeff Kindel hit a three-run home run in the first, and catcher Matt Wieters and first baseman Whit Robbins added solo homers in the eighth to lead the Yellow Jacket offense. Shortstop Tyler Greene went 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Carolina starter Daniel Bard (7-4) went seven innings and tied a career high by allowing six earned runs on seven hits and three walks. He fanned seven for his most strikeouts since March 26 and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced.
Designated hitter Matt Ellington was 2-for-4 on the day to lead Carolina at the plate. He doubled and scored on a sac fly by shortstop Josh Horton for the Tar Heels' lone run.
Kindel, who also homered in game two of the series, put Tech in front in the first with his three-run blast to right. The shot off Bard followed a walk to Danny Payne and a double by Greene for a 3-0 lead.
The Jackets added three more in the fourth, as a two-out walk to No. 9 hitter Jake Hall loaded the bases for Payne, who singled home a run. Greene then followed with a two-run single for the 6-0 Tech lead.
After posting just a Justin Webb double through five, Carolina loaded the bases with just one out in the sixth on three straight singles. However, Turner buckled down to get a foul out and a strikeout to keep the Tar Heels off the scoreboard.
Wieters added a run for the Jackets with his solo shot in the eighth off reliever Matt Spencer, and Robbins followed later in the frame with a solo homer off Tyler Trice.
Saturday was Senior Day at Boshamer Stadium, and UNC's six seniors - Ross Cook, Greg Mangum, Wes Moyer, Bryan Phillips, Webb and Chase Younts - were each honored before the game.
